Mining Incidents

Kentucky River Surface Mine: 31 MSHA citations Coal

Controlled by James C Justice III
Haddix, Breathitt County, KY  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 1518525

Kentucky River Surface Mine has $4K in proposed MSHA penalties and $761 outstanding across 0 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
1
Years on record
2010
Latest incident
Nov 2010
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2005
31
citations
10
significant & substantial
$3,517
proposed penalties
$2,756
paid to date
78% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $761 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2002
20
inspections on record
456
inspection hours
n/a
citations per 100 inspection hours
This rate is recorded citations divided by MSHA inspection hours, per 100 hours. It reflects inspection effort, not mine size or production.
Rate withheld: 456 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Kentucky River Surface Mine has $4K in proposed MSHA penalties and $761 outstanding across 0 contested dockets.

Penalty disposition
Differences between proposed and paid penalties reflect both settlements and conference reductions and amounts still owed. Outstanding is the balance currently owed.
$4K
proposed penalties
$4K
current assessed
$3K
paid to date
$761
outstanding
30 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2014-07-01.
Source: MSHA assessed-violations and conference/litigation data, updated weekly.
Violation severity profile
Shares are computed over citations that carry the MSHA gravity and negligence coding; a small share of records are uncoded.
33.3%
significant & substantial
0.0%
high negligence or reckless
33.3%
reasonably likely or greater
0.0%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 10.0% low, 90.0% moderate, 0.0% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Kentucky River Surface Mine shows 100% of 9 respirable coal dust samples met the 1.5 mg/m3 standard.

Health sampling
A sample is a point in time compliance measurement, not an individual exposure history. These figures describe MSHA sampling records and do not establish causation or personal dose.

Respirable coal dust
Respirable coal dust and silica figures cover coal facilities. Dust compliance is measured against the current 1.5 mg/m3 standard; samples predating the 2014 standard are included, so compliance rates are a coarse historical signal.

Last sampled: 2011-02-08, 15 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
9
samples
0.63
dust max (mg/m3)
9 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 0 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER4
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR2
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE2

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2011-02-14, 15 years ago
42.0
silica avg (%)
1
samples
42.0
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR1

Noise
The share counts noise samples whose measured dose exceeded the 90 dBA permissible exposure limit. It describes the sampled workplace, not what reached the miner's ear: hearing conservation programs and the hearing protection worn during the shift are recorded separately and are not reflected here.

Last sampled: 2011-02-08, 15 years ago
0%
over PEL
4
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER2
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR1
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE1
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
Health sampling trend
A sample is a point in time compliance measurement, not an individual exposure history. These figures describe MSHA sampling records and do not establish causation or personal dose.
Respirable coal dust by year
Respirable coal dust and silica figures cover coal facilities. Dust compliance is measured against the current 1.5 mg/m3 standard; samples predating the 2014 standard are included, so compliance rates are a coarse historical signal.
Year within 1.5 mg/m3 samples
2011 100% 5
2005 100% 4
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
Ownership history
  1. Strong Brother's Mining 2002 to 2005
  2. Kentucky Fuel Corporation 2005 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Coal production is reported quarterly and lags the current period; the most recent quarters may be incomplete.
Year Employees Coal produced (tons)
2016 0
2015 0
2014 0
2013 0
2012 0
2011 3 11,024
2010 16 12,373
2007 0
2006 1
2005 15 32,127
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Kentucky River Surface Mine sits in Breathitt County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 2.3% of county employment.

Local economic context
County figures come from the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey, 5-year pooled estimates, so the 2023 vintage covers 2019 through 2023. The Census category is 'mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction', which is broader than MSHA jurisdiction and includes oil and gas workers no mine employs. These figures describe the surrounding county, not this mine, and are not a factor in any specific incident.
Breathitt County, Kentucky · Population 13,438
2.3%
Mining share of county employment
$41,101
Median household income
Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 5-year estimates.
Quarterly safety rates
Citations per million reported employee-hours. Rates begin in 2000, when MSHA's quarterly employment data starts; earlier incidents are counted but cannot be rate-adjusted. Quarters under 100,000 reported hours are greyed: too few hours for a stable rate.
Citations per million employee-hours, as reported to MSHA
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2016 Q3 0 0 0
2016 Q2 0 0 0
2016 Q1 0 0 0
2015 Q4 0 0 0
2015 Q3 0 0 0
2015 Q2 0 0 0
2015 Q1 0 0 0
2014 Q4 0 0 0
Show 19 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2014 Q3 0 2 1
2013 Q4 0 0 0
2013 Q2 0 0 0
2013 Q1 0 0 0
2012 Q4 0 0 0
2012 Q3 0 0 0
2012 Q1 0 0 0
2011 Q4 0 0 0
2011 Q3 0 0 0
2011 Q2 0 0 0
2011 Q1 4,821 10 4 2074.3
2010 Q4 7,771 0 0 0.0
2007 Q1 0 0 0
2006 Q3 0 0 0
2006 Q2 0 0 0
2006 Q1 436 0 0 0.0
2005 Q4 8,875 0 0 0.0
2005 Q3 10,475 8 4 763.7
2005 Q2 2,064 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

1 on file

2010 · 1 incident

November 11, 2010 KY · Coal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech FIRE
Kentucky Fuel Corporation · Contact with hot objects or substances

Victim was using a cutting torch. His shirt caught fire and he sustained 1st & 2nd degree burns to his hands & abdomen. Treated & released at the hospital. Still off work to this date.